The Quest for the Orb of Power
by E350
Summary: After a severely weakened Dani  literally  crashes into Danny's roof, he and Jimmy go into the Ghost Zone to find the mysterious 'Orb of Power', which can supposedly cure her. Sequel to 'Chaos and Eggnog.' Mild violence. Mild Danny/Sam.
1. Prologue

Well, here is my second Nicktoons story (well, second NU canon Nicktoons story, anyway.) Read and review!

I write too much...

**

* * *

The Quest for the Orb of Power**

_A Nicktoons Unite Story_

**Prologue**

High over the city of Amity Park, a speck bounced up and down in the night sky, barrelling in the general direction of the Fenton Works.

Green globs splashed from it as it spun, barely in control.

…_Works…Danny…help…_

Barely coherent thoughts crossed her mind as he fell down, through the roof of the Fenton Works and into the space above a room.

* * *

SPLOT.

Danny Fenton grunted as he groggily wiped green ectoplasm from his face.

"Not now, dad," he muttered.

SPLOT.

Danny grimaced as another glob landed on his face.

SPLOT.

Groaning, Danny sat up.

"What the heck _is _that?" he demanded, looking at his roof for an explanation.

SPLOT.

A glob phased through the ceiling and landed on Danny's pillow.

Danny glowered and shifted into his ghost form.

"So, someone thinks they're funny, do they?" he snarled, "Let's see how they find the Fenton Thermos."

He grabbed a thermos from his bedside table and floated upwards, into the small space between the ceiling and the roof.

Up on the supports, a small figure, not over twelve years old, was lying on a wooden pole, breathing heavily. Every now and then, a green glob of ectoplasm would fall from her melting foot.

Danny's eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh, _Danielle!_"

* * *

INSERT OPENING CREDITS HERE.


	2. Chapter 1: Cloning Blues

And here we are at our first chapter. :D

Review replies;

**SOLmaster:** I'm glad you like it! :D Thanks for reading.

**TweenisodeOrange:** Well, it _is_ hard to keep track of everything. :P Thanks for reviewing!

**Movie-Brat:** Thanks for the help, MB! Thanks for the review.

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Here is what happens. {:/ Thanks very much!  
**

* * *

Chapter One: Cloning Blues**

"Is this gonna become a regular thing with us?" asked Tucker.

Danny Phantom shot a dark glare at his friend as he paced the lab. It was still very early in the morning – sneaking Sam and Tucker here hadn't alerted his parents, which was certainly helpful.

Dani was laid on a metal bed at the centre of the room (Danny would have provided something more comfortable, but he could hardly drag a mattress down without alerting his parents). She had been attached to several machines, which Tucker and Jazz were monitoring. For ghost hunters, the Fentons had a lot of medical facilities for their prey.

"I'm serious!" elaborated Tucker, "First, it was Vlad, and she wasn't stable. Then she comes back and she's still not stable. Now she's back _again_ and she's still not stable!"

Danny ignored him, and walked over to speak with Jazz.

"How is she?" he asked, concerned.

"She's out, but stable," replied Jazz, "But this doesn't look good for the long term. All her readings are in red, and I don't even understand most of them…"

The door creaked open, and Danny flinched.

Jimmy, Timmy and Spongebob strolled into the room, Timmy's fairies floating above him.

"Hey Danny, what's new?" asked Timmy, brightly.

"Keep it down!" hissed Danny, "We can't wake my parents!"

"Whatever's going on," yawned Jimmy, rubbing his eyes, "Couldn't it wait until some time _after_ four in the morning?"

"No, this is serious," snapped Danny.

He pointed to the table.

"Guys, this is my cousin, Danielle," he announced.

Cosmo tilted his head as he looked at the destabilised, somewhat melted girl on the bed.

"Your cousin is an ice-cream?" he asked.

Wanda facepalmed.

"No," groaned Danny, "She's my clone."

Jimmy, Timmy and Spongebob tilted their heads, taken aback.

"Yeah, it's complicated," continued Danny, "Last time I saw her, she was really destabilised. I stabilised her but now she's…un-stabilised. Point is, we need your help."

Spongebob grinned, and saluted.

"What do you want us to do, Danny?" he asked, enthusiastically.

"You, Cosmo, Wanda and Poof are gonna keep the Fentons distracted," replied Sam, "Fake a ghost attack or something, just keep them out of the house."

"Me, Sam and Jazz are gonna stay here, looking after Dani and keeping in touch with you guys on the Fenton phones," added Tucker.

"Jimmy and I," continued Danny, "Are going into the Ghost Zone."

"The Ghost Zone," grinned Jimmy, "Fascinating! I've always wanted to explore it more. Maybe I could get some samples, see how it works…"

"Yeah, you might wanna grab a coat," warned Danny, "We're going to the Far Frozen. There's a guy there – if anyone knows how to fix this, he will."

"What about Clockwork?" quizzed Timmy, "Couldn't he just prevent any of this from happening in the first place?"

"What, we just gonna stroll into his tower and ask him to mess with history again?" demanded Danny.

Timmy bit his lip.

"Anyway," grinned Sam, looking slightly menacing, "You've got the most important job of all."

"What is it?" asked Timmy, excitedly.

"You get to be nurse!" replied Sam, with a fake grin.

She handed Timmy a gown and a nurse's cap.

"Once Dani wakes up," she explained, "You're gonna be in charge of making sure she's comfortable. Anything she wants, you get. Got it, Nurse Turner?"

"What?" spluttered Timmy, "Why me?"

"Because you're not doing anything else," replied Danny, "And because I specifically remember _someone_ cursing us last Christmas and dragging us halfway across the…"

"Alright, alright," groaned Timmy.

He began to mutter under his breath.

"Alright," nodded Danny, "Everything's set and the Spectre Speeder should be warmed up by now. C'mon, Jimmy – you're gonna meet Frostbite."

* * *

Outside the Fenton Works, a girl clad in red armour listened into her radio.

Valerie Grey grinned. She still didn't know how the Fentons hadn't found her bugs yet, but it ultimately didn't matter. Phantom was going into the Ghost Zone, to some place called the 'Far Frozen'.

The Red Huntress intended to follow…

* * *

Iiiiiiiit's Valerie!

Yep, that's all I've got.


	3. Chapter 2: The Quest Begins

I'd like to apologise in advance for the lack of Frostbite. :( I'm just not that familiar with his character.

Review replies;

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Well, he can't get off _totally_ scot-free. XD Thanks for reading!

**Movie-Brat:** Yeah, Ember will probably be in this in some way. :) Valerie is pretty cool, isn't she? Thanks for reviewing!

**TweenisodeOrange:** Well, I have a lot of plans. :D Thanks for the review!

**SOLmaster:** I wanted to put a little more perspective on Jimmy in this story, so I'm glad you think it's cool. :) Thanks very much!  
**

* * *

Chapter Two: The Quest Begins**

Jimmy sat in the Spectre Speeder. Even though he'd picked up a jacket from the Fenton's closet before leaving, he found himself shivering in the cold of the Far Frozen.

Frostbite had seemed to be a pretty okay guy, despite first appearances. After Danny had explained the situation, however, Frostbite had asked to speak with the 'Great One' alone. Jimmy had protested, but that had ultimately proved futile.

It was a pity – this was all so fascinating, and he wished he could examine it all further.

The door opened, and Danny climbed into the Speeder, looking serious.

"I should've known," he muttered under his breath.

"What's the problem, _Great One_?" asked Jimmy, his brow raised.

"Frostbite's not telling me how to fix Dani," snarled Danny, "Says I'm being tested by the _Master of Time._"

"Clockwork?" quizzed Jimmy.

"Yep," groaned Danny, "He says the only thing that can permanently stabilise Dani is this 'Orb of Power'. Then he gave me this map and sent me off."

Danny crossed his arms.

"Why can't I have a simple life?" he lamented.

Jimmy gave an apologetic shrug.

"So, is it that Infi-Map?" he asked, "I've always wanted to…"

"You wish," moaned Danny, handing him a crumbled paper map, "That'll get us 'there and back'. You're navigating."

Danny put his hands on the wheel and started up the Speeder.

* * *

Timmy was standing next to Dani, looking bored.

"Stupid Danny making me be the stupid nurse," he murmured, "Making me feel stupid with his stupid stupidness."

He shook his head.

"Now I'm going to the stupid bathroom."

He walked upstairs, still muttering.

For about a second, all was still. Then there was the silent sound of footsteps as Valerie crept down the stairs.

The Red Huntress couldn't believe her luck. The front door was left unguarded after the elder Fentons had gone, Sam and Jazz were in the Ops centre and Tucker was on his 'meat break.' All she'd had to do was wait for the bucktoothed kid to go to the bathroom and she was home free.

Creeping over to the portal, Valerie glanced at the slab in the middle of the room.

Her eyes widened.

"_Danielle?_"

She treaded softly to the table, where Dani was still unconscious and somewhat melted. She looked in terrible condition – pale even for a ghost.

"What has Phantom _done_ to you?" she whispered.

She glanced towards the portal, fists clenched.

"Whatever it was," she hissed, "He'll pay."

There was the sound of flushing from upstairs, followed by footsteps from the stairway.

"I'll be back," murmured Valerie.

She made for the portal, jumping onto her glider as Timmy walked back into the lab.

Timmy blinked as the Red Huntress disappeared.

"…anyone asks," he gulped, "That was Tucker's fault."

* * *

The scenery had certainly changed.

Danny glanced out the window. The usual green, cluttered expanse of the Ghost Zone was replaced by a blue sky over mountains not unlike to the Himalayas.

"Well," he mused, "This is new."

"By my calculations," stated Jimmy, "We should be over the target in about ten minutes, if we keep up this speed."

"Great," grinned Danny, "This is easier then I…"

The Speeder shook as a metallic thunder cracked from the rear of the vehicle, knocking it off-balance. Danny wrestled the Speeder to the left.

"Why did I say that?" he sighed.

A propeller-propelled aircraft thundered by, circling around the Spectre Speeder for another shot with its guns.

"What was that?" demanded Danny.

"Messerschmidt Bf109," replied Jimmy, tensely.

"In English?"

"It's a fighter plane!" exclaimed Jimmy, "It's trying to…"

There was another roar, and the Speeder's thrusters were shredded. Danny's heart seemed to rise into his throat as it began to fall from the sky.

"Brace yourself!" gasped Jimmy.

Danny grabbed Jimmy's arm, but before he could turn them both intangible, the Speeder collided with the ground and all went dark.

* * *

Valerie's luck had been incredible today, all things considered.

It was almost _too_ fortunate, in fact. It seemed that the Fenton's had forgotten a vital flaw in the Spectre Speeder's last maintenance check – the fuel was leaking, giving the Red Huntress a breadcrumb trail.

Now, Valerie was gliding over the mountains, towards the pillar of smoke in the distance.

"Now I've got you, Phantom," she sneered.

Skilfully breaking the glider, she landed next to the wrecked Speeder. Grinning to herself, she strode up to the cockpit. She sincerely hoped Phantom was OK – she wanted to destroy him herself, after all.

She grabbed the door-handle.

There was a loud click.

A squad of soldiers, all of them ghosts of some kind, aimed their guns at her. All of them were old in design, the kind of thing you'd see in old adventure movies. Their uniforms matched the weapons in vintage – grey, with coal-scuttle shaped helmets. Their leader was a large, somewhat skeletal man in a suit and trench-coat.

"Don't move, punk," the leader snarled, "You're coming with us."

"What makes you think I'm gonna come quietly, _ghost?_" snapped Valerie.

"Oh, I have a feeling you'll comply," sneered the leader, "Bullet?"

There was a sharp punch in the back of Valerie's head, and she blacked out.

* * *

...and now it's time to play _guess the homage! _*Jeopardy music*_  
_

Also, if you want to know why Walker is here...there's a perfectly logical explanation. ;)_  
_


	4. Chapter 3: Dr Fenton, I Presume?

Stuff happens in this chapter. That's all I got.

Review replies;

**TweenisodeOrange:** Very true. He's not exactly a huge recurring character, is he? Thanks for reading!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Simplicity is boring. :P Answers will be had soon enough. I say that too much. Thanks for the review!

**Movie-Brat:** Well, technically I intend to homage the whole series. Still, that explanation is The Coolest Thing Ever. XD Thanks for reviewing!

**SOLmaster:** I understand, Valerie only really grew on me recently. Thanks very much!

**

* * *

Chapter Three: Dr. Phantom, I Presume?**

Danny opened his eyes.

Groggily, he looked around. He was tied to a chair in a small, damp shack. The air was humid, and he felt overdressed in his signature jumpsuit. He looked to his left, where Jimmy had also been tied down.

"Hey, Jimmy," he asked, "What happened?"

"You tell me," shrugged Jimmy, "I guess we got shot down."

"That's pretty obvious," deadpanned Danny, "Where are we?"

"Ask her," replied Jimmy.

Confused, Danny looked to his right.

"_Valerie?_"

"Took you long enough," nodded Valerie, expressionlessly.

"What the heck are you doing here?" demanded Danny.

"Could ask you the same question, Ghost Boy," snapped Valerie, "I mean, after what you did to Dani…"

"What _I_ did? Wh…wait, how do you know about that?" asked Danny, suspiciously.

Before he could get an answer, the door to the shack burst open. Two soldiers marched in and stood on opposite sides of the door. Walker followed them, followed by Bullet.

Bullet was dressed in a grey and rather ornate military uniform that seemed a bit ill-fitting on him, topped off with a peaked cap.

"You've definitely got a lot of gall to come after me here, Dr. Phantom," Walker hissed.

"Coming after you? I wasn't e-_Dr._ Phantom?" quizzed Danny.

"Don't play dumb with me, Phantom," snapped Walker, "This isn't the first time you've interfered with our plans. The Leader's getting…irritated…"

"Leader? Are you crazy?" exclaimed Danny.

He paused for a second.

"I mean more crazy then usual?" he added.

Walker narrowed his eyes.

"Listen, punk," he snarled, "I know you're after the Orb, and you know that I have at least one hundred heavily armed soldiers out there. So I think it would be better for everyone if you stayed out of it…understand?"

"No way," replied Danny, glaring daggers at Walker, "I need that Orb."

"Yes, 'it belongs in a museum', I've heard it before," sighed Walker, "I'll just have to leave you then."

He turned to one of the soldiers.

"Keep them under guard until I return," he ordered, "_Obersturmfuhrer,_ you follow me."

He marched out of the shack, Bullet following. Walker's henchman gave them a smirk and slammed the door behind him.

"OK, what now?" sighed Danny.

"How about you tell me what you did to Dani!" growled Valerie.

"I didn't do anything!" cried Danny, exasperated, "She was like that when I found her!"

"Sure she was," snarled Valerie, "And that ghost dog just _magically_ released itself…"

"Can we please not bring that up?" groaned Danny.

"Guys, guys!" implored Jimmy, "This isn't getting us any closer to helping Dani!"

"…and being in the middle of the Ghost Zone is helping her…how?" enquired Valerie, brow raised.

"The Orb of Power," replied Danny, "It's supposed to do…something that'll help Dani, if we find it."

"You have no idea what you're doing, do you Phantom?" sighed Valerie.

"Nope," groaned Danny, "But it's our best bet."

"We still have the map," said Jimmy, brightly, "I hid it in my jacket…"

"What?"

The two soldiers turned their attention to Jimmy and began to advance on him.

Danny went intangible and phased through the ropes holding him down. Jumping from his seat, he tackled the closest soldier and knocked him headfirst into the wall.

Grabbing his helmet, he swung the heavy metal object at the other soldier, hitting him in the face. Just for good measure, Danny hit him again, and the second soldier slumped onto the dirt floor.

"The ropes weren't ghost-proof," mused Danny, "You'd think Walker would've thought of that…"

"Maybe this isn't Walker," considered Jimmy, "Maybe this is all an elaborate illusion formed by the Orb to test us…"

"That's a pretty long shot," commented Valerie.

"It's all I've got," shrugged Jimmy.

Danny shook his head.

"Illusion or not, we've got to get to that Orb," he stated, "Look, Val, I know all you've got is my word, but I swear I didn't do anything to Dani."

He held out his hand.

"We need your help to find the Orb," he sighed, "Truce?"

Valerie sighed.

"I'll shake on it when you untie me," she conceded.

* * *

"_You let Valerie in?"_

Timmy and Tucker winced as Sam let loose her fury upon them.

"I-it was my meat break," explained Tucker, meekly.

"_Meat break?_ You left the lab unattended so you could eat _processed animal carcasses?_ Of all the…"

On the other side of the lab, Jazz looked over the computer monitoring the medical equipment.

The life signs were still largely in the red, and a large red message blinked on the bottom left-hand corner; BODILY FUNCTIONS 76%. With a dim beep, the percentage dropped by one.

She shook her head, and hoped for Danny to come back soon.

* * *

And thus, Danny and co have escaped the Most Certainly Not Nazis.


	5. Chapter 4: Familiar Faces

CR, if you're reading this, _please don't sue me. _:(

The plot's really started going now. This scene doesn't follow the movie 100% or even 50%, but that was never the intention. :) Sorry for the short replies, but I'm a bit tired. :\

Review replies;

**TweenisodeOrange:** Half this fic is gonna be an Indiana Jones reference. :P Thanks for reading!

**Movie-Brat:** Maybe he will. :) Thanks for reviewing!

**SOLmaster:** I'm glad I made you laugh. :D Thanks for the review!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** We shall see, we shall see. Thanks very much!

**

* * *

Chapter Four: Familiar Faces**

"When did it start snowing?" asked Danny.

Danny, Jimmy and Valerie were trudging along a snowy mountain pass. The night was coming, a blizzard had begun, and the temperature was dropping sharply.

"I think its part of the orb's illusion," replied Jimmy, "Put it this way – we left the hut ten minutes ago, and it looked like it was morning – the same time as it is outside the Ghost Zone. Now it's getting dark. It's trying to speed us along."

"So, the Orb uses movie editing?" quizzed Valerie, "Who made it? Stephen Spielberg?"

"I don't know," mused Danny, "This all seems so real…"

"Hey, look!"

Valerie pointed towards the end of the pass. A small tavern stood in a clearing, light emerging from the windows and a small plume of smoke rising from a wooden chimney.

"Maybe we can shelter in there until the storm passes," she mused.

"But we've gotta get to the Orb!" snapped Danny, "If we keep going…"

"…we will probably freeze to death," interrupted Jimmy, "That probably wouldn't help our chances of finding the Orb."

Danny sighed.

"Alright," he muttered, "But just until it dies down."

The group trudged up to the tavern and walked inside.

The tavern was a largish, wooden construct, almost completely empty save for the bartender. She had her back turned to them, washing out a glass.

"Uh, excuse me, ma'am," greeted Danny, walking up to the counter, "We're travelling through here and we need somewhere to shelter until the storm passes, and…"

The bartender turned around.

"_Sam?"_ exclaimed Danny.

"You can't even remember my name, _Dr. Phantom_," snapped 'Sam', "My name is _Sammie_, and you have some nerve to walk in here after what you did!"

"…I have no idea what you're talking about," said Danny, confused.

"You really are a selfish jerk, aren't you Danny?" thundered Sammie, "You _left me at the altar!_"

Danny started and gave a slightly mortified croak, as Jimmy began to laugh hysterically.

* * *

The tranquil morning calm of Amity Park was broken by the sound of a large vehicle and ectoplasmic blasts from the centre of the city.

The Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle roared through the streets of the city centre, Jack at the wheel. Maddie was leaning out her window, firing a Fenton Bazooka at the rooftops.

"Step on it Jack!" she barked, "It's getting away!"

"I'm giving her all she's got!" replied Jack, "Crazy spook – must be a genius to outmanoeuvre Jack Fenton!"

High above them, Cosmo flew from building to building, a white bed sheet over his head. He gave a yelp as he dodged a blast.

"Why can't _you_ be bait?" he demanded into the Fenton Phones, "I'm getting wing cramps!"

There was no reply.

"_Wanda!_" groaned Cosmo, "Whatever I did, I'm sorry!"

* * *

Wanda listened to Cosmo over her own Fenton Phones. She, Spongebob and Poof were waiting in an alleyway not far from Cosmo.

"I think Cosmo's running out of energy," she mused, "I guess it's my turn to be bait."

"I'll get another bed sheet," nodded Spongebob.

"No need," replied Wanda.

She held up her wand, and there was a poof. When the smoke subsided, Wanda was dressed in the same costume she'd worn on Halloween.

"I'll send Cosmo back here," she explained, "Try not to get in trouble while we're gone."

She poofed away.

"Well, it's just us, Poof," grinned Spongebob, "You know what that means!"

Spongebob pulled his bubble-wand from his pocket, and Poof giggled.

"This looks interesting. Mind if I watch?"

Spongebob and Poof looked into the alleyway at the figure, who was walking up to meet them.

"Not at all, Mr…" began Spongebob.

"Not Mr," the figure replied, "_Prince_. Prince…Aragon, in fact."

* * *

"OK, let me get this straight," repeated Danny, shaking his head, "I am a history professor and an archaeologist, and we were an item but I left you at the altar."

"Stop feigning amnesia, Fenton," snapped Sammie, "We both know you're trying to duck out of responsibility for your actions…"

"I'm not an amnesiac!" exclaimed Danny, "I'm a totally different guy!"

Valerie and Jimmy sat at a table nearby, watching the argument.

"Who do you think is gonna win?" asked Jimmy.

"Sam. Definitely Sam," grinned Valerie.

"Look, just get out of here, Fenton," groaned Sammie, "You've honestly got no idea…"

There was a sudden bang on the door.

"State Police!" came a barked order, "Open up, or we'll use force!"

"You brought…_them_ here?" spluttered Sammie.

"Last I checked, they were ahead of us," shrugged Danny.

There was the sound of muttering at the door.

"_They're not opening, Herr Walker…"_

"_Kick it open, then."_

"Here we go again," groaned Danny.

There was a smash, and Walker kicked the door open. He aimed a gun at Danny.

"I heard of your escape. How'd you do it?" he demanded.

"Your guards suck," replied Valerie, an ectoplasmic blaster emerging from her suit.

Walker gave a snort.

"It doesn't matter," he snarled, "You die here, Dr. Fenton."

Four more men in dark trench-coats stepped into the tavern, all holding machine guns.

"Look, can't we all just get along?" implored Danny.

The men fired. Danny dove behind the counter and his companions took cover as they shot up the tables and cabinets inside the building.

In about five seconds, the men stopped to reload.

"Well, it was worth a shot," shrugged Danny.

He got up again and threw an ectoblast towards one of the men, knocking him off his feet. He hit his head on the doorframe and was rendered unconscious.

The other three finished reloading and fired at Danny, who avoided them by going intangible. The shots went right through him and hit a red barrel, which immediately exploded. The corner of the tavern was set ablaze.

"You'll pay for that!" shouted Sammie.

She reached under the counter and picked up an ecto-gun – but a strange looking one at that. It was, in fact, shaped somewhat like a Tommy Gun. She fired several bolts of pink ectoplasma (not unlike that of Vlad Plasmius).

Two of the men were hit in the stomachs by the shots and fell, winded, to the ground. The last man attempted to charge the counter, but was hit in the legs by a blast from Valerie, and fell hard onto his back.

The fire had spread now, and Walker began to cough.

"I know about that map, Fenton!" he thundered, "Give it here, right now!"

There was a crash, and some of the roof caved in front of him. Walker flinched, and backed out of the tavern.

"Come on!" exclaimed Sammie, "We'll get out the back door!"

She led the group into the back and out the door, just as the flames began to lick the whole building.

* * *

The group stood in the snow behind the tavern, watching the flames consume it. A second-storey window shattered, and a fridge plummeted from the roof. It landed safely in the snow – and burst into flames.

"Good thing we didn't try to shelter in that!" grinned Jimmy.

Sammie said nothing, her backed turned to the group. Danny sighed, and scratched the back of his head.

"Look, I'm sorry I burnt your tavern down," he sighed, "Just…we'll just leave, I guess."

"No," snapped Sammie, turning around, "Not after this."

She reached into her jacket and pulled out a whip, handing it to Danny.

"A whip?" mused Danny.

"Come on," growled Sammie, "We're gonna make them pay for this!"

She marched away, into the snow. Danny, Valerie and Jimmy glanced at each other.

Valerie shrugged.

"The more the merrier, I guess," she shrugged.

They followed her away from the tavern.

* * *

I think the first thing I said when I decided to make an homage to Indiana Jones was 'I have to mock the fridge scene.' :P (For the record, I think Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was awesome.)


	6. Chapter 5: There Can Be More Then One

Sorry for the hiatus -hopefully, this can make up for it.

Review replies;

**SOLmaster:** Sammie's scenes were my favourite to write. XD Thanks for reading!

**Movie-Brat:** A lot of homages. :P I'm trying not to make them so direct it's a parody, but they are there and obvious. :| Thanks for reviewing!

**TweenisodeOrange:** Indeed, the logic in that scene was *removes sunglasses* pretty cold. (YEEEAAAH!) Thanks for the review!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Well, comedy is the most fun to write. :D Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Five: There Can Be More Then One**

Danny blinked, and suddenly realised where he was.

The group was now standing down the road from a large, European castle, standing against rolling hillsides. By the look of it, they were somewhere in Central Europe…having walked only ten minutes from what had seemed to be Tibet.

"OK, guys," he asked, "How did we get from the mountains to a castle in ten minutes?"

"Ten minutes?" quizzed Sammie, "We took the plane, remember?"

"No I…never mind," shrugged Danny, "What're we doing here?"

"According to the map," replied Jimmy, "The key to Orb's chamber is supposed to be in there, under guard."

"Nothing's ever easy, ain't it?" sighed Valerie.

"So, who's guarding it?" asked Sammie, "The jackboots?"

"_Ruki vverh!_"

There was the sound of clicking. The group turned around, to find a group of heavily armed, very angry looking soldiers in green uniforms.

"_My Sovet·skogo Soyuza. B'yus' ob zaklad, vy pereveli eto tak, chto vy budete vyglyadet' umnym, ne tak li?"_ one of the soldiers bellowed.

"Uh…what?" quizzed Danny.

"_Vse eto na samom dele oznachaet vse, chtoby istoriya, vy znaete,"_ the soldier continued, _"Mne prosto nuzhno chto-to na russkom yazyke dlya etoi chasti raboty. Salat pal'tsy blin natsist·skoi__̆__ bla da."_

"Uh…da, da," nodded Danny, understanding nothing.

"_Otboi, serzhant._"

The soldier jumped to the side, snapped to attention and saluted. His commander stepped out from behind the soldiers. She was wearing a navy blue uniform and peaked cap.

"Ember?" quizzed Danny.

"So, you know my name, _shchup_," nodded Ember, in a slight but noticeable Russian accent, "So, Dr. Phantom, what brings you to our castle?"

"Uh…we're looking for a-a-a book, yes," replied Danny, thinking quickly, "We think it's in the library, and we thought we'd…"

"You really think I'm going to believe that?" demanded Ember, "You're after the key, aren't you? Well, you're too late, it's been moved to the headquarters of the Man of Steel himself."

"The Man of Steel?" mused Jimmy, "Does Walker work for him?"

Ember scowled.

"Do not!" she thundered, "Compare us! To _them!_"

She turned on her heel and began to walk away.

"Make sure they stay put, Commissar," she sniffed.

"_Da, tovarish,_" nodded a soldier, smiling nastily. "I know just what to do with them…"

Ember nodded, and strolled away down the road. The soldier gave an order, and the men began to frogmarch the group towards a lake.

Danny glanced at their weapons.

"OK, I don't think those are ectoguns," he mused, "OK, Sammie, grab my hand."

Sammie stared at him.

"Look, I'm gonna fly us out of here," hissed Danny, "You're just gonna have to…"

Sammie huffed, and took hold of Valerie's hand instead.

"Valerie," continued Danny, "Do you still have the sled?"

"Uh, Danny…" hissed Jimmy.

"As far as I know," replied Valerie, suspiciously, "What're you suggesting, Phantom?"

"Take my hand," ordered Danny, "I'm gonna turn us intangible and we're gonna fly out of here."

Valerie grimaced.

"If you do anything funny…"

She grabbed Danny's hand, and he winced from the strength of her grip.

"OK, on three," whispered Danny, taking Jimmy's hand, "One…two…"

"Danny, I think you should…" Jimmy began.

"THREE!"

He kicked the soldier closest to him away and willed them all intangible. With a roar, Valerie's sled activated, and they rocketed into the sky. The shockwave of the sled's back-blast sent the soldiers flying backwards.

Danny grinned as they thundered away from the castle, letting out a whoop.

"That was pretty easy!" he grinned, "So, Jim, where are we going next."

"I don't know," replied Jimmy, seriously, "Ember took the map."

Danny's heart sank.

"We'll follow the road," he sighed, "We have to get that map back!"

* * *

"Jazz, the away team's dropped off radar," Sam called from upstairs, "Probably got caught by the Fenton's. I'm gonna look for 'em."

"Ok!" Jazz called back.

She paced across the lab. Dani still hadn't stirred, and Timmy was reading a comic at one of the lab tables. It was quiet – far too quiet, really. Worse, Danny and Jimmy seemed to have dropped off radar entirely.

She leant over the monitors. She was now down to 61% and dropping. Danny was running out of time.

She heard the sound of footsteps and glanced at the door, just in time to see Tucker barrelling in. He waved his PDA around in an attempt to get attention.

"Guys!" he shouted, "I think I know why we can't get Spongebob and the fairies!"

"Spongebob and the fairies," mused Timmy, "That'd be a pretty cool name for a band."

"I'm serious!" exclaimed Tucker, holding the PDA in Jazz's face,

Lance Thunder was on screen, reporting from downtown Amity Park. He looked terrified to even be standing there as people panicked and ran behind him.

"…_I mean come on, what did I do to deserve_…_uh, I'm Lance Thunder, reporting live from downtown,_" Lance stated, shakily, "_We are currently in the middle of what experts are calling a Code Red Ghost Emergency!_"

"_As of now,_" continued Lance, as a GiW agent ran down the street behind him, "_We have attacks by now less then four – _four – _ghost dragons. The Guys in White have mobilised and they claim to have the situation under control…_"

At this point, the GiW agent barrelled back down the road in the opposite direction, landing in a dumpster.

"_Uh…anyway,_" continued Lance, even more distressed, "_We'll keep you updated with…_"

There was a loud crash, and the camera fell backwards. Lance screamed and ran as a dragon barrelled down the street, fire bursting from it's mouth.

"Wait, pause it and zoom!" snapped Jazz.

Tucker paused the video and zoomed it on the dragon's head. Timmy had walked over by now, and tilted his head.

"Why's it got a bucket on its head?" he asked.

"Sheldon J. Plankton, that's why," replied Tucker, grimly, "That must've been the mind-control helmet's Spongebob talked about that one time. Who's the dragon, then?"

"Who do you think?" replied Timmy, "Look at it."

He pointed to the head. It was yellow.

"…you gotta be kidding me," groaned Tucker.

"Tucker, get the Peeler Suit," snapped Jazz, grabbing a Fenton Bazooka from the lab table.

"Uh…why?" asked Tucker.

"If they get here, they could destroy the lab," replied Jazz, "If that happens, Danielle's gone and Danny and Jimmy can't get back into the Human World."

"OK, I'll get it," nodded Tucker, running to the Weapons Vault.

"Timmy," ordered Jazz, tossing him some Fenton Phones, "Stay here. If anything happens, call us."

"But I wanna…"

Jazz had already followed Tucker upstairs.

Timmy sighed, and sat down.

"Why am I babysitting?" he moaned as he returned to his comic.

* * *

So, Aragon and Plankton are in co-hoots...but why? (Well, I know, but I'll save that for later. :) )

Also, guess who the Man of Steel is supposed to be. Go on, guess!


	7. Chapter 6: Maps and Dragons

I _so_ missed an opportunity for a pun in that title. :{

Review replies;

**SOLmaster:** All will be revealed soon enough. :D Thanks for reading!

**TweenisodeOrange:** Evil Superman! :P Nah, not really, but good guess. :) Thanks for the review!

**Movie-Brat:** Next, she shall be a pirate Soviet...accountant! :P PM's are welcome, but to be honest, it's revealed here. :| Thanks for reviewing!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Yeah, it's pretty obvious, but I don't mind. :P Thanks very much!

**Gokiburi Prince:** It's neither, but good guesses. Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter Six: Maps and Dragons**

Danny landed in a cold, dark alleyway in a large city, and willed them all tangible again.

"So, where are we?" asked Jimmy, looking around, "It looks Eastern European…"

"You hear that?" asked Danny.

The group quietened. Not far away, carried by the wind, was the sound of a band and a choir. Slowly, Danny led the group out of the alley, towards the music.

They emerged onto a large street. Before them marched hundreds upon hundreds of the green-uniformed soldiers, followed by large tanks with several guns. On a balcony above them, a short, moustached man in an immaculate white uniform saluted his armies, flanked by a suited man with glasses and Ember.

"Red Guards," mused Sammie, "Some of the best trained soldiers in the world…after Walker's guys."

"…I don't think we're welcome here," gulped Jimmy.

"We're gonna have to go in anyway," replied Valerie, "We've got to get that map back."

"Yeah, word to the wise," snapped Sammie, "Four of us against hundreds and hundreds of the Red Guard's best troops – that's not gonna end well."

"How about we sneak in, then?" suggested Danny, pointing to a dumpster.

A man, probably an officer, lay against the dumpster, snoring loudly and totally oblivious to the world.

Jimmy stepped back, repulsed.

"Yeah, you're…gonna have to sneak in, we'll-we'll wait outside," he stammered, quickly.

* * *

Danny walked up the ornate hallway, dressed in the officer's uniform.

It was tight-fitting and quite itchy. Danny fiddled at the collar as he rounded a bend in the corridor, approaching the podium.

He gave a smirk as he saw Ember walking the other way. The ghost stopped in her tracked, an astonished expression crossing her features.

"Phantom?" she quizzed.

"Surprised?" grinned Danny, "I came for the map. We can do this the easy way…"

He clenched his fists, and they glowed green.

"…or the hard way," he finished, "Either way, I'm leaving with the map."

Ember sneered.

"You're confident, I'll give you that," she acknowledged, "Keep in mind, if you attack me, you'll end up on the wrong side of 500,000 heavily armed and very angry Red Guards."

"…and then the map will be destroyed in the fighting," rebutted Danny, "Even if it isn't, how's your leader gonna like it if you start a fight in his building? I don't think you wanna get on his bad side."

"He'll forgive me when I deliver him your head," snarled Ember.

"You wanna bet on it?" asked Danny, brow raised.

Ember growled.

"Alright, I'll hand it over," she snapped, "But this isn't the end; I _will_ get it back, no matter what you _or_ the jackboots try to do."

Glaring daggers, she handed Danny the map, hissing to him as she began to walk away.

"Just one thing, Phantom – you're not gonna get out of all this alive."

She walked angrily away.

"OK, anger issues," noted Danny, "Let's find that key before…"

The door at the end of the hallway swung open. Seven soldiers marched out, each taking position on either side of the hall and snapping to attention. Danny gulped, and quickly jumped into position next to one of the soldiers.

The man from the balcony – Danny assumed he was the Man of Steel – strode into the hallway. At each soldier, he stopped and shook their hand – each time, a camera would flash. Obviously, this was some kind of publicity stunt.

Before long, the man had come up to Danny. He looked down and saw the map in the half-ghost's hand.

Danny gulped as he took it and looked it over.

Then the Man of Steel signed the map, and went on his way.

Danny breathed a sigh of relief, and willed himself invisible. Ignoring the startled yelp of the man next to him, he phased through the wall and flew aback across the road to the group.

"Well," he shrugged, handing the map to Jimmy, "I found the map. I still haven't found the key though."

"What do we do now?" asked Valerie.

Jimmy grinned.

"We keep going," he replied, unfolding the map, "Guess Ember shouldn't keep all her valuables in the one pocket."

A small, golden key slipped out as it was unfolded, landing on the ground with a faint clank.

Danny sighed in relief.

"Alright," he nodded, "Now all we need is the Orb…man, I bet the others are having it much easier then we are…"

* * *

Downtown Amity Park was cordoned off by the Police and the Guys in White, so Jazz and Tucker had had to sneak under through the sewers.

Tucker, who was wearing the Peeler Suit, gave a gasp of relief as he climbed out of the manhole, away from the stench of the city's water supply.

"Freedom!" he cried, "Sweet freedom!"

"What're _you_ complaining about?" snapped Jazz, "You're the one wearing the Peeler Suit! I had to wade through all of that…"

There was a deafening roar, and a pink dragon thundered overhead.

"That's Wanda," nodded Jazz, aiming the bazooka, "Peel it!"

"'Peel it?'" snickered Tucker.

"Just do it!"

Tucker nodded, and fired the Peeler at the dragon Wanda, aiming for the amulet. The ray hit the amulet…but nothing happened.

"Umm…I don't think it's working," gulped Tucker.

Wanda roared, and swooped towards the duo. Jazz fired the bazooka, and missed completely. With a shriek, the two ran off the street, the dragon just barely missing them.

They dove into a wrecked store on the side of the road, taking cover behind the counter.

"This is gonna be harder then I thought," gulped Jazz.

"_Hey, guys, where are you?_"

Jazz adjusted the Fenton Phones, hearing Sam on the other end.

"Um…we're on Fourteenth Street, in the old watch store," replied Jazz, "Where are you?"

"_I'm three blocks out,_" answered Sam, "_The Fentons are following one of the dragons down Maple, so I think they're gonna be occupied for a while. I'll head your way – I got something you might like."_

"Got it," nodded Jazz, "See you in a bit."

She looked outside, seeing the dragons circling above the city.

"Y'know," sighed Tucker, "I bet Danny and Jimmy are having it much easier then we are…"

* * *

Guess what scene this parodies! (Hint: it's in the third movie.)

A bit more originality in the next chapter, though. And Walker shall return!


	8. Chapter 7: Train!

Sorry about the double-post last chapter. I'll try not to let it happen again.

This chapter isn't parodying a specific scene, but I still tried to capture the feel of Indiana Jones. Hope you like it. :)

**TweenisodeOrange:** Oh, I think you'll like it. :) Thanks for reading!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Well, it _is_ my favourite scene in the series. :D I like irony. Thanks for reviewing!

**Movie-Brat:** It's been addressed now. Sorry. Thanks for the review!

**SOLmaster:** Sorry about that. :| Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Train!**

The railway station was a huge, gothic-styled construct in the heart of a large city, one obviously different to the city where the parade had taken place – albeit seemingly within walking distance. The station was teeming with life, but was also lavishly decorated with banners and monuments to the state. Armed soldiers in black uniforms stood guard at the entrances.

Danny, Sammie, Jimmy and Valerie sat in a compartment aboard one of the trains. Danny had discarded the officer's uniform in favour of his jumpsuit, but he was also wearing a jacket and a fedora, just in case they encountered someone who would recognise them.

"So," asked Danny, "Where do we get off?"

"We go east," replied Jimmy, "Into some canyons in another country. There's supposed to be a temple there…"

"…and in it, the Orb," nodded Valerie, "Looks like easy sailing from here, if you don't count all the people trying to kill us."

"Not quite," sighed Sammie, pointing at the side of the map, "We still need to get past tests to get into the Orb's chamber."

"Why am I not surprised?" groaned Danny.

Outside, the engine gave a loud bark of its whistle and the train began to move. Un-noticed among the crowds, a small group of four black-uniformed soldiers marched briskly towards the train. Quickly, they scrambled into the back coach, slamming the door behind them.

The train gathered speed and disappeared into a tunnel.

* * *

Timmy shut the comic and threw it onto a pile, where it landed on top of several other comics he had finished in the time he'd been left behind.

"This stinks!" he groaned to himself, "I'm sitting here staring at the wall while they go out and fight dragons!"

He got up and walked over to the monitor.

_BODILY FUNCTIONS 39%._

"There, she's still alive," Timmy sighed to himself, "Can I go now?"

He stormed back to his chair and stared grumpily at the wall.

* * *

Danny yawned as the train passed through the countryside. While it was still going faster then should have been possible (there was farmland as far as the eye could see, yet they'd been on board for only ten minutes), it was still taking it's time.

"Guys, I'm going to the bathroom," he announced.

"Thanks for telling us that, Phantom," deadpanned Valerie.

Danny walked out of the room and headed down the corridor, but halted as he caught sight of the end of the coach.

The four uniformed soldiers had cornered a ticket-collector. Three of them aimed their weapons at him as their leader yelled at him, demanding information. The leader was, as could be expected, another familiar face.

"Box Ghost?" whispered Danny.

"This is your last chance!" bellowed the Box Ghost, "You will tell me where Dr. Phantom is, or you will face serious consequences!"

"What right do you have to do this?" snapped the ticket-collector, "I don't know this stuff, I just collect tickets! Who do you think you are?"

"I AM THE BOX GHOST!" bellowed the Box Ghost.

"Yep, definitely the Box Ghost," sighed Danny.

He faded into invisibility and headed back for his compartment.

"Agh! This is getting us nowhere!" snapped the Box Ghost, turning to his men, "Kick open all of these boxes…"

"Compartments," interjected the ticket-collector.

"…until we find him!"

The soldiers nodded, and kicked open the first compartment door. It was unoccupied, so they moved on.

Eventually, they reached Danny's door. A soldier raised his foot, and delivered a powerful kick to the door. With a terrible metallic clang, the door was forced open.

There was a loud 'ratatatat', and the soldier fell backward as several pink ectoplasmic bolts hit him in the chest. He landed against the wall, out cold. Sammie grinned, the ecto-Tommy Gun in her hands.

The second soldier took cover behind the wall while his comrade pulled out a baton and charged into the compartment. Sammie leapt onto the seat, drawing the soldier's attention.

While she did so, Jimmy pulled out his Tornado Blaster and fired a burst of wind at the soldier. The man was blown forward, his head colliding with the wooden surface above the seat. He let out a pathetic gurgle, and fell to the ground.

The second soldier finally decided to act, using the cover of the wall to blind-fire into the compartment. He failed to hit Sammie and Jimmy, although he did manage to shatter the window.

Of course, had he been able to see into the room, he'd have seen that neither Danny nor Valerie were in the compartment with them.

The soldier felt a sudden, sharp pain across his back. He jumped with a yelp, and quickly turned around.

Danny grinned, holding the whip that Sammie had given him earlier. His other fist was clenched.

"Finally got to use that," he grinned.

The soldier snarled, and raised his gun. Reacting quickly, Danny hurled the whip. With a loud _smack_, the whip lashed the side of the soldier's head, sending him crashing into the wall. Knocked unconscious, the soldier bounced backwards onto the other wall of the corridor before coming to a rest on the floor.

He unclenched his other fist, and Valerie faded into visibility.

"Not bad for a ghost," she nodded, an ectogun emerging from her suit.

"Actually, I was aiming to grab his gun," admitted Danny, shaking the back of his head.

The Box Ghost gulped, before doing what anyone would do when faced with a half-ghost superhero with a whip and a ghost hunter armed with state-of-the-art technology.

He screamed 'Beware!' and ran for his life.

Darting down the train, the Box Ghost ran into the brake coach and lunged for the emergency brake. There was a bang, and an ectoplasmic bolt hit his hand.

"Ouch!" he bellowed, grasping his injured hand.

He felt his shoulder be grabbed and was forced around. Valerie grinned nastily at him as she pushed him against the back door of the train.

"You know who I am?" she sneered.

"…uh…a lady in red?" stammered the Box Ghost.

"Close," shrugged Valerie, "I'm the Red Huntress."

"Th-that's not on the State Police records," stammered the Box Ghost.

"Check them again," snapped Valerie, opening the back door.

"No, wait, mercy!" shouted the Box Ghost.

Valerie rolled her eyes and let go.

The Box Ghost screamed as he flew off the back of the train, giving a series of yelps as he bounced down the track into the distance.

Danny walked up behind her, his eyes wide.

"You just threw the Box Ghost off the back of a _train!_" he exclaimed.

"No ticket," shrugged Valerie.

She shut the door and walked calmly back to their compartment.

* * *

Tune in next time for Chapter 8: E350 Gets Sued By Stephen Moffat!


	9. Chapter 8: Eye of the Tiger

Sorry for the hiatus, I've had a bit of a cold over the past two weeks. Also, I went to Melbourne the weekend before last, which didn't help.

I hope this makes up for the wait.

Review replies;

**TweenisodeOrange:** Bu-bu-bu-but I'm not American! D: Thanks for the review.

**Movie-Brat:** Yeah, my friend requested that line. XD Everyone and their dog want's Danny's head, MB. :P Thanks for reading!

**SOLmaster:** So do I! (Mainly because I'm a train buff. :P) Thanks for reviewing!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** It is a good scene, isn't it. :) Well, the Box Ghost had to appear somewhere. :D Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Eye of the Tiger**

Danny, Jimmy, Valerie and Sammie lay in the sand at the top of the dune, Sammie looking through binoculars. Far in the distance, a convoy of vehicles was kicking dust high into the air.

They had gotten off the train in the middle of the desert, and a brief walk had led them here, to a road that the map proclaimed led them to the Orb.

"…Tiger," grimaced Sammie.

"They have tigers?" mused Danny, "Why do they need tigers? Couldn't they just use dogs?"

Sammie gave him a look.

"Not _that_ kind of tiger," she snapped, handing him the binoculars.

Danny looked through the binoculars, and his jaw dropped. A giant, slabby, grey monstrosity roared down the road, a very large and very menacing gun poking out of the circular turret. Walker stood in the hatch, barking orders to the crew inside.

"What?" exclaimed Danny, "When did Walker get a tank?"

"The question isn't 'when did he get a tank,'" grinned Sammie, "It's 'what do we do about it.' Need I remind you that we have no transport to the Orb chamber?"

The other three looked at her as if she'd grown a second head.

"We are _not. Hijacking. A tank_," stressed Jimmy.

"You got any other ideas?" demanded Sammie.

"I could fly," suggested Danny.

"…and get shot down again," added Sammie, pointing to the sky. Several fighter planes were patrolling above, their silhouettes a menacing contrast to the blue sky.

There was a short silence.

"Okay," nodded Sammie, "Here's the plan."

* * *

Walker sighed and looked at his watch as the tank rattled down the road. The convoy of cars and trucks was being slowed down to match the speed of the great armoured behemoth that protected it. He wouldn't have taken it, but he was pretty sure the Red Guards would drag a tank along the road as well. He did not want to be caught with his pants down.

Then again, if he drove ahead, he _may_ just get to the chamber first…

Walker called down to Bullet, inside the hull.

"I'm going ahead by car," he stated, "If that punk Phantom shows up, blast him."

Bullet nodded, and Walker climbed out of the hatch.

The large, tattooed ghost sighed as he heard Walker drive away. It wasn't like he was stuck inside a dark, cramped, fuming can with three other guys. Why did _he_ get a car?

Still, he supposed, that meant he got the hatch.

Bullet stood up, out of the hatch.

He gave a cry as Danny hurtled through the air towards him.

With a loud _thwack_, Bullet was thrown from the tank, landing in the dirt behind it. Wasting no time, Danny ducked into the turret, grabbed the gunner by the collar, and threw him out too.

Danny ducked down into the hull, where the loader (a giant of a ghost, Danny noticed) hurled himself at the intruder. Danny was pinned against the side, but reacted quickly and threw a punch to the jaw. The large ghost gave a roar, and Danny took the opportunity to grab his arm, turn him intangible, and throw him out the side.

Satisfied, he ducked into the driver's area.

A uniformed Sidney Poindexter stared at him, nervously.

"Oh, hey Poindexter," greeted Danny.

His face fell.

"Get out," he ordered.

Meekly, Poindexter phased through the roof.

Danny heard a bump on top of the tank and grinned. It sounded a bit like he'd expect Valerie's sled landing on a tank would sound – the cavalry had arrived.

Valerie climbed in first, followed by Sammie and Jimmy.

"Not much elbowroom in here, is there?" muttered Valerie.

There was the sound of metal ricocheting off the sides of the tank.

"I think they know we're in here," noted Danny, "Sammie, you're on the controls. Me and Valerie will fire the gun. Jimmy…"

"Oh no," sighed Jimmy, foreseeing what would happen.

"You're commander," grinned Danny, giving a mock salute, "Have fun!"

Jimmy gulped, and peeked out of the hatch.

The three trucks of the convoy had dispersed, and were now speeding across the desert. On top of them, soldiers were climbing onto the roofs, each armed with a very large, very frightening looking Ectoranium Rocket Launcher.

What exactly _was_ ectoranium, anyway?

Jimmy shrugged, and glanced at the closest truck.

"Uh, okay!" he announced, "Move the turret to the…uh…to the left."

The turret jerked violently to the left, and Jimmy had to hold tight to avoid being thrown off.

"Uh…not quite so hard," he muttered, "Ok, you're on target, fire!"

Danny loaded a shell into the gun.

"For the record," he noted, "If I haven't done this right, the gun will probably explode."

"Thanks for that, Phantom," deadpanned Valerie.

She pressed a button. A great, green projectile burst from the gun, colliding with the truck with an almighty bang. The large vehicle rolled over, the ghostly soldiers inside falling from it into the sand.

"Okay, uh, good," nodded Jimmy, "Um…okay, thirty degrees right!"

There was another violent turret shift.

"We're good, fire!" shouted Jimmy.

He ducked as a rocket whizzed over his head.

With another roar, the gun fired again. The second truck was hit in the cab, stopping it in its tracks. The rocketeer on top stumbled and fell off the back.

The last truck swerved and stopped on the road. The soldiers inside leaned out, forcing Jimmy to duck into the hull with their fire.

"You're supposed to be co-ordinating," reminded Valerie.

"Oh, yeah," stammered Jimmy, "Um…go around the truck!"

"…we're in a tank," reminded Danny, bluntly.

Jimmy stared for a minute, before a light bulb lit in his head.

"Oh yeah!" he nodded, grinning, "Sammie! Full speed ahead!"

The tank roared forward, thundering towards the truck blocking the road. The driver realised the plan, put his foot on the accelerator – and immediately stalled the truck.

He gulped.

"_Out!_" he bellowed.

The soldiers flung themselves from the truck, seconds before the tank hit it. With a satisfying crunch, the truck was easily crushed under the tank's treads, and it roared away the road into the distance.

Jimmy climbed back out of the hatch and looked back, grinning.

"We did pretty well, didn't we?" he grinned, "Good thing I had that idea, huh?"

Valerie looked at Danny.

"Does he usually claim…"

"All the time," sighed Danny.

* * *

Amity Park was silent and empty as Sam trudged through the streets. The downtown district had been evacuated, and the Guys in White had obviously given up and retreated.

For all the ghosts that regularly attacked the city, seeing it completely empty was a lot creepier.

Sam arrived on Fourteenth Street, and scurried across the road into the ruined watch shop, crouching behind the counter next to Tucker and Jazz.

"How've you been?" asked Tucker, absently.

Sam sighed, and pointed at her soot-covered, bruised form.

"Yeah, I've been _fine_," she snapped, "I've just had to escape Aragon, run across town, avoid about _five_ dragons…"

"Wait, you got caught by Aragon?" quizzed Jazz.

"Yep," nodded Sam, "But I got away. His guard was down – heck, he seemed really…_off_, like he wasn't all there…"

"Well, it is kinda weird that he'd be working with Plankton," agreed Tucker, "Not to mention using his tech…"

They pondered for a moment, and then Jazz shrugged.

"Well, if he's out of his game, it makes it easier for us, huh?" she nodded.

"Yeah," replied Sam, uncertainly, "Anyway, I managed to grab something on my way out."

She grinned, and reached into her pocket. Jazz and Tucker's eyes widened.

"…you're kidding, right?" quizzed Tucker, dumfounded.

It was an amulet.

* * *

Okay, so we have a Tiger tank, we have Danny as Indiana Jones, and we're about to have a dragon fight.

I wish my life was like that.


	10. Chapter 9: The Chamber

Well guys, I hope you like reading, because there's a lot here. Also, greetings from Prague!

Review replies;

**SOLmaster:** What can I say, I like tanks. XD As per the amulet...you'll see. :) Thanks for reading!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** It seemed like something Jimmy would do. :P Thanks for reviewing!

**TweenisodeOrange:** ...and there was thunderous applause. :D Thanks for the review!

* * *

**Chapter Nine: The Chamber**

The tank was a slow and bulky monstrosity, but it handled well on the dirt track into the canyon where (the map said) they would find the Orb Chamber. Jimmy stood out of the commander's cupola and surveyed the way ahead, directing Danny, Valerie and Sammie in the use of the armoured vehicle.

At last, with a late-afternoon sun descending above them, the tank reached its destination and ground to a halt. The group climbed out, and Sammie looked through her binoculars at the entrance.

"Jackboots," she snarled, "They beat us to the Chamber!"

"I knew this would happen," groaned Danny.

"Looks like they're not gonna be alone for long," added Valerie, pointing back down the road. A great cloud of dust was being kicked up, far away.

"Looks like the Red Guards," nodded Jimmy.

"I knew that would happen also," groaned Danny.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Sammie, "We can't just fight our way in there."

"Maybe we don't have to," mused Danny, "I have an idea..."

* * *

"This is the worst idea ever," groaned Valerie.

The group were being frogmarched by a soldier into Walker's camp, their hands tied.

"Trust me," hissed Danny, "I know what I'm doing. I saw this in a movie once."

"Well, that just _fills_ me with confidence," deadpanned Valerie.

Danny glared at her.

The soldier arrived in front of Walker's tent. The ghost warden himself was standing outside, barking orders to his men.

"Sir!" barked the soldier, "We have Dr. Phantom."

"Excellent work," nodded Walker, "Dismissed, Private – I'll handle them from here."

The soldier saluted and marched away.

Walker towered over his captives, grinning nastily.

"I trust that you'll want to leave this place alive," he sneered, "If you hand me the map, we'll be sure to leave what's left of you alive for the scorpions."

"I'm afraid I can't give you the map, Walker," replied Danny, coolly.

"And why not, punk?" demanded Walker.

"Because I burnt it."

There was a very long silence.

"You did..._what_, Phantom?" snarled Walker, his pale face reddening in fury.

"I burnt it," repeated Danny, "Because without it, you need us to get you through the traps in the chamber, and therefore can't kill us."

"We can improvise," snapped Walker.

"With the Red Guards about an hour out?" quizzed Danny, "I don't think so."

Walker pondered for a moment.

Then he lifted his palm and fired an ectoblast.

Valerie lurched, and clutched her stomach. She fell to the ground as Walker gave a cruel guffaw.

"Ecto-poison," he sneered, "Fatal to humans after one-hour of exposure. You give me the Orb when you find it, and I'll heal her."

"You sick creep..." growled Danny.

"Insurance," shrugged Walker, "Now – lead me to the chamber, Doctor."

Danny glowered as he was untied.

* * *

Medieval revenge strategies were, at the core of it all, very simple.

If a rival lord offended you in any way, no matter how minor, you burnt something of his. If your lady was offended – burn crops. If your king was insulted – burn houses.

Forcing you from your throne was the worst offense of all, and the obvious and fairest response would be to burn the rival lord's land and everything in it.

In Prince Aragon's case, the rival lord was Danny Phantom, and his land was the city of Amity Park.

Aragon strode down Amity Park's main street, watching in satisfaction as his brainwashed dragons smashed the city before him. This was suitable revenge – and the minute Phantom appeared before him, he would lose his head.

"Enough, Aragon!"

Aragon turned, enraged. How _dare_ someone try to order him about!

Sam stood at the end of the road, clenching something in her hand that the Prince couldn't make out.

"You!" snapped Aragon, "I thought I had you under my control!"

"I escaped," replied Sam, "And I got some questions."

Aragon snarled.

"Why the heck are you working with Plankton?" demanded Sam.

"...who?" asked Aragon, tilting his head.

"Sheldon Plankton!" repeated Sam, "The guy who made your helmets!"

"The control helmets?" mused Aragon, "I got them from a fellow in a white suit and a hat, not this 'Plankton' knave."

"Don't play dumb with me," snarled Sam.

"I sincerely do not know whom you are talking of," replied Aragon.

His eyes glassed over suddenly, and his expression became distant.

"Aragon?" quizzed Sam.

Aragon shook his head, and pointed at her.

"_Enough!_" he thundered, "You'll pay for demanding questions of me like that!"

He grabbed his amulet and activated it. With a bright purple glow, he transformed into a gigantic black dragon, poised for the kill.

"Two can play at that game," Sam grinned, attaching her own amulet to her neck.

There was another glow, and Sam changed. In seconds, there stood another dragon, this one a dark purple with green areas along the scales.

The dragon that had once been Sam looked down at herself.

"This is pretty awesome!" she exclaimed in a slightly deeper voice then her usual.

"Insolent wench!" thundered Aragon, "How did you manage to steal..."

"Enough talk," snapped Sam, "Let's do this."

* * *

Danny walked ahead, Jimmy behind him, Sammie carrying Valerie on her back behind them, and Walker and a soldier behind them with ectoguns.

They made their way into the vast, cave-like entry to the chamber and into a small passageway, at the entrance of which lay a pile of headless skeletons.

"Nice," sighed Valerie, slightly deliriously.

"You first," snapped Walker.

Danny gulped, and he and Jimmy crept forward.

"What did the map say here?" asked Danny.

"Duck," replied Jimmy.

"That's helpful," deadpanned Danny.

"No, look," explained Jimmy, pointing,

A small engraving of a duck was etched on the right hand wall, while the left was a simple brick wall. If one looked closely, they could see the edges of a door behind the duck.

"I'm not sure whether I should love or hate Frostbite for that pun," groaned Danny.

Jimmy knelt down and crept over to the duck.

With a thunderous roar, the top of the left hand wall slammed into the right, missing Jimmy's head by a millimetre above his hair.

The boy genius gulped.

"Well," he shrugged, "That's the first trap."

He pushed on the duck and it moved aside, revealing a small passage they could crawl through.

* * *

Sam and Aragon soared high above Amity Park, their claws locked against each other as they struggled to gain the upper hand in the fight.

Roaring terribly, Aragon let go of the violent embrace and doubled back in the air, preparing a burst of dark flame in his jaws. Foreseeing this move, Sam ducked under the jet of flame and responded with her own, striking the Prince in the stomach.

Aragon rebounded with a pounce, forcing himself into Sam's abdomen and sending them spiralling towards the earth. Sam struggled to get free of his grip as the evil dragon roared closer and closer to the ground.

At last, just a few hundred metres above the city, Sam escaped Aragon's grasp. Flying above him, she launched into a swoop against the medieval ghost and smashed her talons into his face, sending him hurtling into a factory.

Sam flew over him and crossed her arms as Aragon crawled out of the wreckage.

"Had enough?" she smirked.

"_I have not yet begun to fight!_" thundered Aragon.

He leapt into the air and tackled his foe.

* * *

Danny and Jimmy walked into a second chamber. Before them was a sentence, written in Latin, with a word missing in the middle.

"What now?" asked Danny.

"We have to identify the missing word," replied Jimmy.

"And what's the sentence?" asked Danny.

"...I before something except after C," read Jimmy.

Danny facepalmed.

"I before _E_, except after C?" he quizzed, "Was this made for a preschooler or something?"

The room rumbled, and the wall lifted up, revealing another passageway.

"That was too easy," grinned Jimmy, "At this rate, we'll be there in..."

He stopped.

The duo stood before a great chasm, with only small rocks to grab to get down.

'Jimmy," groaned Danny, "Never speak again."

* * *

With a thunderous crash, Aragon forced Sam into a large tower, causing a large part of its wall to collapse.

Sam shook her head and blinked dust from her eyes, just before Aragon sent a tail whipping in her direction. Ducking quickly, Sam responded with a kick that burrowed into Aragon's abdomen and sent him flying backwards.

With a tremendous crash and a cloud of smoke, the evil dragon slammed into the street, digging a crater as he tumbled down the tarmac. He came to a rest just outside of City Hall.

Sam flew over him again, scowling.

"You done now?" she demanded.

Aragon snarled.

"This is _ridiculous!_" he bellowed, "Dragons – come forth!"

Sam looked up, and gulped. Four specks appeared in the sky, turning into bucket-headed dragons as they got nearer and nearer to the ground. Within seconds, the brainwashed dragon forms of Spongebob, Cosmo, Wanda and Poof appeared before her, prepared to fight.

"This is gonna suck," groaned Sam.

* * *

Carefully, Danny lowered himself down the last gap between the rocks he was supporting himself on to solid ground. He mopped his brow and gave a sigh of relief.

"Finally," he grinned, "That's the last one, isn't it Jim?"

There was a brief silence.

"Jimmy?"

Jimmy stood, holding a flaming torch and staring at something ahead of him in awe.

Before the duo was a small altar, made of purest silver and etched in symbology not ever Jimmy could decipher. Atop the altar was a small, fist-sized golden ball, glowing as if it were its own source of light.

They had found the Orb of Power.

"We did it!" grinned Danny, "Now we just have to get back to Valerie and..."

There was a tremendous bang and an explosion in the roof above them. Down the rubble that had once been then roof ran a large collection of soldiers dressed in both grey and green, led by three very familiar figures.

Walker and Ember strode confidently towards them as Bullet held on to Sammie and Valerie.

"Nice work," commented Walker, "But I'm afraid things have changed."

"We made an alliance, baby-pop," nodded Ember, "And it doesn't include you."

Danny buried his head in his hands.

"I knew this would happen," he groaned.

* * *

Well, I wonder what this registers on the this-is-bad-o-metre...


	11. Chapter 10: The Orb of Power

I almost put the rating up to T for this chapter, but I decided that it just made K+. If you disagree, please say, and I'll change the rating.

Anyway, the climax has begun!

Review replies;

**ghostfinder:** Would you care to elaborate on why I am boring? Reguardless, thanks for the review.

**GokiburiPrince:** Thanks for that! It's nice to hear things like that, it really is. Thanks for reading!

**SOLmaster:** Yep, it's not going to be easy for them. I'm kind of a cruel author. XD Thanks for reviewing!

**TweenisodeOrange: **I was think 12.92/10, meself. Thanks very much!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** More shall be revealed on the brainwashing. ;) Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter Ten: The Orb of Power**

Danny and Jimmy stood, held by two very large soldiers, in the corner of the chamber. Troops of both factions crowded around the altar, as Walker, Bullet and Ember prepared to take the Orb.

"It's said that only he with good intentions can take the Orb," noted Walker, "It's like Excalibur...except no-one burned the instructions for that."

He shot a dark glare at Danny.

"You go first," nodded Ember, "I want to see what will happen if the unworthy try to take it."

"You think I'm not worthy?" snarled Walker.

"I don't _think_, old man, I _know_," replied Ember.

Walker growled, and picked up the Orb. He didn't notice a small, purple spark emit from it as he did so.

It glowed warmly in his hand, and he gave a cruel grin.

"Walker, put in down..." stressed Danny. He was ignored.

"Well, well," he sneered, "Looks like you're wrong, _Commissar_. _I'm_ the worthy..."

There was an ear-piercing screech, and the Orb turned red.

Walker gave a terrified shriek as his hand began to crumble into dust before his eyes. The Orb fell to the ground and he stumbled backwards, his arms disintegrating.

"_Bullet!_" he screamed, "_Help me!_"

He looked over to where his second-in-command had been, but saw only a dusty, discarded uniform lying on the ground. Around him, just like their commander, the grey-uniformed soldiers were turning to dust, their helmets and clothing falling in heaps where they had been.

Desperately, Walker ran for the Orb, but his legs collapsed under him and he fell onto his face. With a final scream, his head collapsed and settled in a pile on the ground.

There was a long silence.

"I told him he was unworthy," shrugged Ember, at last.

* * *

Denzel Crocker stood in a dark room, looking at a wall of Amity Park camera screens. Aragon and his dragons had the clear upper-hand, and Sam was taking a great deal of punishment.

"It's a facinatin' sight, Mr. Crocker, is it not."

Crocker jumped, and turned around. The shadowed figure in the corner crossed his arms.

"Our plan is workin' perfectly," he sneered, "Aragon's under our control, Mr. Fenton's out of town and his friends are suitably distracted. No-one ta stop us acquirin'...this."

He threw Crocker a black cloak. A tag reading 'Property of the Amity History Museum' was sewed on the back.

"We're stealing antiques?" quizzed Crocker.

"Oh, Mister Crocker," grinned the figure, "It's _much_ more then that..."

He gave a toothy grin, and Crocker involuntary shuddered.

* * *

As a group of the green clad soldiers dusted off what had been Walker's troops, Ember prepared to take the Orb for herself.

"...I really wouldn't recommend doing that," warned Danny.

"You think I'm not worthy, _mudak?_" snapped Ember.

"I don't _think_, I _know_," growled Danny, "The last part of the map said that the Orb can only be taken if it will be used for a good cause!"

"Then I've got nothing to fear," shrugged Ember, "How would _you_ be any more worthy?"

"Try a melting clone and a poisoned friend," replied Danny, icily.

"She's your friend?" quizzed Ember, motioning to Valerie. She was now lying on the floor, breathing heavily.

"Well...she's not my enemy...I guess," murmured Danny.

"Save it for later," shrugged Ember, "I have an Orb to take."

She reached forward and grabbed the Orb (once again, she didn't see a purple spark). There was a warm glow, and Ember gave a sinister grin.

"That's what happened to Walker," warned Danny, "Drop it!"

"Not listening, dipstick," sneered Ember, "Maybe when I turn you to dust, you'll be a little less..."

Another screech, and the Orb turned red again.

The colour literally drained from Ember's body, sucked into the Orb in her hand. Ember glanced down at the Orb as it vibrated angrily in her palm – and all of a sudden, her palm became see-through.

Indeed, Ember's body had mostly vanished, save for a faint touch of visibility along her outline.

Ember's outline dropped the orb and fell to her knees, a strange disembodied scream echoing through the cavern as she clutched her head. The outline suddenly glowed a bright red.

When the light subsided, Ember was nothing more than a small, glass figurine, about four centimetres tall, lying discarded on the ground. Around her, a small pile of tin soldiers gathered dust where her troops had been.

The soldier holding Danny stared for a moment, gave a high pitched scream, and ran out of the cavern.

"OK, that was...wrong," shuddered Danny, "And maybe sick as well."

"Danny, not to interrupt your lamentations," interjected Jimmy, "But we've been gone for four hours – I think we're running on time."

Danny nodded, and leant down to pick up the Orb. Before he could grab it, he saw the purple spark, and moved his hand away.

"What?" he exclaimed, "After all that, I'm not..."

There was the sound of a loud coughing fit, and Danny turned around. Valerie was hunched over the floor, hacking up her lungs.

"Danny, we don't have much time!" snapped Sammie, who was leaning over to help her, "Find some way to get that Orb!"

"But I don't-" Danny began to protest.

Then, a memory flowed through his mind.

_Ecto-poison. Fatal to humans after one-hour of exposure._

_Fatal to humans after one-hour of exposure._

_Fatal to humans..._

"Sammie, hold her down!" barked Danny.

Confused, Sammie did so. Danny knelt over Valerie and looked for the wound. Finding it, he began to lean in.

"...you're gonna kiss it better?" quizzed Sammie, looking perplexed.

"I'm gonna suck out the poison," replied Danny.

"But then you'll get infected!" rebutted Sammie, "That poison is fatal..."

"To humans!" snapped Danny, "But I'm _half-ghost!_"

He leant over the wound and began to suck, the foul-tasting poison entering his mouth. He stood up, spat it out, and kept going.

For two minutes, he kept it up, until at last he could taste no more poison. Standing up, he wiped his mouth, retching a little.

Valerie coughed a few more times, and then stopped.

She breathed in and out, slowly and clearly.

"Phantom," she wheezed, "_Never - _do that again."

"Don't plan to," shrugged Danny, still feeling the ugly taste in his mouth.

"What did you _do?_" demanded Jimmy, "Gas planet, Danny! That stuff's still gonna affect you – even with the ectoplasm in your DNA, you have be treated within three..."

Sammie raised her hand.

"Danny," she grinned, "You did it."

There was a short silence.

"...did what?" asked Danny, tilting his head.

"You passed the test," replied Sammie, motioning to the Orb, "You made it past all of the challenges, and you proved yourself worthy of the Orb of Power. You can take it."

"The illusion," hissed Jimmy, "The Orb's using it to talk to us."

Hesitantly, Danny knelt down and picked up the Orb. This time, it did not spark red. Instead, it began to glow green, dimly at first; then brighter and brighter.

"What's going on?" demanded Valerie, shielding your eyes.

"You're going back to Amity Park," replied Sammie, "After all, you've still got a cousin – and a town – to save."

The Orb was near blinding now, Danny having to squint to see anything. He could vaguely see other figures appearing behind Sammie – Walker, Ember, Bullet, the Box Ghost, even Poindexter.

"Wait!" he called out, "Was this all in our heads, or an illusion, or something?"

"It was," nodded Sammie, "That doesn't mean it's not real."

She gave a casual wave.

"Goodbye, Doctor Phantom."

The Orb glowed even brighter, and Danny's vision went white.

* * *

Danny blinked several times as the light receded and began to stumble. He then tripped over a trash can and fell on his face.

In the alleyway behind him, Jimmy and Valerie gained their bearings in less embarrassing ways.

Climbing to his feet, Danny grinned as he realised where he was.

"We're back!" he cheered, elated, "Now all we have to do is..."

He turned the alley-corner and saw a half-destroyed street, and a battle between several dragons raging above.

"...oh, come on," he groaned.

* * *

_BODILY FUNCTIONS 12%. EMERGENCY – EXTREME LOW CONDITIONS._

* * *

JK Rowling is going to kill me for the ending of the chamber sequence. :|


	12. Chapter 11: Race Against Time

Well, here we go! Time to see if Danny can make it!

Review replies;

**Gokiburi-Prince:** Here it is. :D Thanks for reading!

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**SOLmaster:** We shall see. :) Yeah, HP is awesome, isn't it. :D Thanks for the review!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Thanks, I thought I was kind of winging it on the punishments. Glad you liked 'em! Thanks very much.

**Movie-Brat:** Ah, yes, Blackbeard's death - 'twas an epic way to go. :) Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Race Against Time**

Timmy stared at the red screen on the monitor as Dani's condition deteriorated, the gears in his mind hard at work.

This, of course, meant he was thinking for an excuse for when the clone destabilised and melted under his watch.

As the percentage ticked down to eleven, a timer opened up below the numbers. It read ten minutes – the exact amount of time until Dani melted into ectoplasmic goop.

"...Danny won't have enough time," realised Timmy, "I gotta do something to make her hold on until...wait, who am I talking to?"

He shrugged, and strode over to Dani's side.

"Okay, uh, hi Dani," he began, "Uh, I kinda don't know where Danny is...or anyone else...but he's not gonna be long, so if you can hear me, I'm gonna have to ask you to hold on for just a little longer, OK..."

There was a hoarse cough, and Timmy jumped.

"Dan...ny?" came a croaked reply.

"Yeah, your cousin," nodded Timmy, "He's coming – heck, he's probably not far."

* * *

Danny was about a half-mile away with a dragon fight in between him and the Fenton Works. He had buried his head in his hands.

"I can't leave this place for _five minutes_," he groaned.

He walked purposefully into the street, crossed his arms, and looked calmly upwards.

"Right," he noted, "We've got to get this Orb back to Dani, but we've also gotta get rid of six – count 'em, six dragons. Including, by the look of it, Prince Aragon"

He gave a serene nod.

"Just once," he groaned, "I would like a normal day."

Immediately, he span around, a determined grimace crossing his face.

"Okay, here's the plan," he snapped, "I'm gonna start flying now and hope for the best. Jimmy, Valerie – head over to the hospital and get that poison checked."

"_What?_" demanded Valerie, "I'm not trusting you to..."

"Valerie," interrupted Danny, "You're still weak from the poison. I know you don't like me, but she's my _cousin_. You've gotta understand that, especially after the last few hours."

There was a long silence.

"I _will_ fix her," vowed Danny, "You have my word."

Valerie shook her head, and turned around.

"If you don't," she snarled, "You'll pay."

Danny nodded, and without another word he kicked off into the air.

Jimmy shook his head.

"Aren't _I_ gonna get a choice in this?"

* * *

Danny soared through the sky, heading due south in the direction of his house. There would be time to deal with Aragon later – for now, he had to get to Dani.

This was a task made less easy when a great yellow dragon with a bucket on it's head hurtled head on towards him.

Danny braced himself, but never found himself hitting anything. Opening his eyes, he saw another dragon slam into the yellow one, sending it slamming into the asphalt below.

The other dragon turned to Danny.

"Oh, hey Danny! Did you get a cure yet?"

"_Sam?_"

"Yep," nodded Sam, "We've kinda got a bit of a problem here…"

"A _bit?_"

Danny shook his head.

"Look, I got the cure," he explained, "I just need to get home without being attacked."

"Got it covered," grinned Sam, "Just get that cure to Dani."

She soared away, heading for the centre of town.

Danny shook his head, and kept flying.

* * *

Timmy bit his lip as Dani's bodily functions decreased.

"…I wanna see Danny…" wheezed Dani.

"He's coming, don't worry," reassured Timmy, "He's gonna make you better, I promise."

"…who…are you?"

Timmy gave a smile.

"A friend," he replied.

* * *

Sam lunged through the centre of town, heading for Aragon. The black dragon stood atop City Hall, staring into the distance with glazed eyes.

"Staring again, Aragon?" snarled Sam, stopping before him.

Aragon stood up, and jumped at Sam, grabbing her by the neck. They flew into the sky, once again engaged in combat.

"_WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME, WENCH?_" demanded Aragon.

"Wh-what?" replied Sam, perplexed.

"_YOU KNOW!_" bellowed Aragon.

He kicked, and Sam was thrown backwards, barely stabilising in the air.

"_WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER THINGS, YOU TREACHEROUS DOG?_" thundered Aragon, "_WHY DOES MY HEAD HURT? WHY?_"

"I'm not doing anything!" snapped Sam, "Heck, what could I even _do?_ I'm a human, not a ghost!"

"No," nodded Aragon, "But _you will be._"

He roared, and lunged at Sam again.

* * *

The brainwashed dragons had regrouped again, and were flying over the city to assist their master.

Suddenly, bursts of green lights smashed into Wanda and Cosmo, and they fell to the ground, shrieking. Poof tried to stop and fight, but a stray blast hit the helmet…and it shattered.

Blinking, the baby took off the amulet, and changed back.

Down below in the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle, Jack and Maddie high-fived.

* * *

Wanda and Cosmo smashed to the ground, sliding several metres down the pavement…right up to the feet of Jazz Fenton.

Jazz grinned, and took the Fenton Lipstick out of her pocket, aiming it at the helmets. Firing once, Cosmo's helmet was smashed.

Wanda roared, and reared up, ready to unleash flame on Jazz.

There was another shot, and her helmet was gone too.

As both fairies removed their amulets and gave confused looks around, Jazz blew on the end of the lipstick.

* * *

Spongebob soared over the rooftops, looking for the thing that had brought down his allies.

There was a shot, and he turned around, seeing Tucker on a roof.

"Hey, big bird!" he yelled.

The dragon roared, and dived at Tucker. Gulping, the techno-geek shut his eyes and fired.

There was a loud crash, and Tucker felt himself fall onto something soft and foul-smelling.

When he opened his eyes, he found Spongebob – dazed, confused and normal – lying on top of him in a rubbish dumpster in a back alleyway.

"Well, I don't know how _that_ happened," shrugged Tucker, "But go team!"

* * *

As Danny flew further, his vision began to blur, and he tried to remember why.

_Oh yeah. The poison. Duh._

Ignoring the rising pain in his body, Danny forced himself onwards – out of the centre of town, back to his house, back home, back to Dani.

Soon, he could barely see, and he felt like he was about to throw up, but he kept flying. He'd crawl if he had to – he needed to save Dani…

And then, just as he was near blacking out, there it was.

Danny soared up to the front door, transforming as he barrelled through the door. Stumbling through the living room, he tumbled down the basement stairs and landed in a heap at the bottom.

"Danny!" exclaimed Timmy.

"Danny?" Dani wheezed.

Danny forced himself up, every joint aching, and took the Orb out of his pocket.

_BODILY FUNCTIONS 1%. EMERGENCY – EXPIRATION IMMINENT._

Every step a pain, he held the Orb out in his hand.

Collapsing on his knees, he reached Dani's bedside.

"Here goes…" he gulped.

He dropped the Orb onto Dani's chest.

There was a great white flash. Timmy gave a shout of something Danny couldn't hear, and then…

Then there was nothing.

* * *

A/N: **HAHAHAHAHAHA_HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_**


	13. Chapter 12: Mysteries Wrapped in Enigma

Final chapter! Let's see how it all ends!

Review replies;

**SOLmaster:** We shall see, in time... Thanks for the review!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Oh, you'll have to wait and see...these strings are long. :P Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Mystery Wrapped in Enigma**

Sam Manson opened her eyes.

She was lying in a pile of rubble, her clothes dusty and torn. Aragon was nowhere to be seen, and her amulet was lying next to her right hand. Her head ached badly.

This wasn't right, was it? She remembered being tackled by Aragon…they had been going down…then it all got blurry. Maybe she had a concussion.

"Business is done, Ms. Manson."

Sam looked to her left. A tall man in a white suit and hat was standing nearby; juggling what looked like a Fenton Thermos in his hands.

"I understand you can't remember much," the man stated in a deep Southern accent, "You hit your head pretty hard – but you did beat him, and your quarry is safely incarcerated in here."

He threw the thermos to Sam, who caught it.

"Um…thanks, I guess," nodded Sam.

"Not a problem, ma'am," replied the man, "I'd just like you to remember something for me."

He looked Sam in the eye – he had sharp eyes, but cold ones.

"There will come a time when I need assistance," he said, "Until then – forget you saw me."

He tipped his hat and clicked his fingers.

With that, Sam blacked out again.

* * *

Danny awoke to the sun in his eyes.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, finding himself lying in his bed in his room, his mother standing over him.

"Oh, Danny!" exclaimed Maddie, seeing him wake up, "You're awake! _Jack!_"

"Ugh…how long have I been out?" groaned Danny, as the other Fentons, Sam, Tucker and the Nicktoons (minus Spongebob, who couldn't appear in front of the Fentons without inciting a ghost panic) entered the room.

"You've been asleep for twenty-four hours," replied Jazz.

"You would've been up earlier, but they wouldn't let me wake you up," added Jack.

"…you were going to use a _bat_," snapped Jimmy.

"Anti-Creep Stick," corrected Jack.

"I been sleeping for a _day?_" gasped Danny.

"You had an ectoplasmic poison in your system," nodded Maddie, "Who knows _how_ you got into contact with it…"

"Heh – yeah – who knows, huh?" chuckled Danny, nervously.

Something clicked in his mind.

"Wait a minute!" he realised, "Mom, dad, was there anyone else in the lab when you found me?"

Jack and Maddie glanced at each other.

"About that…"

The door opened again, and a head peeked out.

"Can I come in now?" asked Dani, somewhat nervously.

Maddie nodded, and Dani walked into the room, followed by Valerie (who was slightly worse-for-war, but otherwise fine.)

"Valerie and Timmy told us that you've been looking after Danielle, right?" asked Maddie.

"Yeah…kinda…" nodded Danny.

"And that she got sick, and you used Fenton equipment to heal her," added Jack.

"…and that she has no parents," finished Maddie.

Danny blinked.

"…what exactly are you saying?" he asked, at last.

Maddie and Jack grinned at each other.

"Your father and I have been talking, and we've decided that if Dani has no place to go, then we'll give her one," explained Maddie.

Danny tilted his head.

"Until we can work out where Dani comes from, we've decided that she can come live with us," continued Maddie, "Of course, she'd have to share your room, but…"

Maddie was interrupted as she was pulled into a two-way hug from both Danny and Dani, both yelling out a line of thank-yous to her. Jack shrugged, and he and Jazz joined in.

"Aww," grinned Jimmy, "Isn't that sweet?"

"Let's ask him how he feels about it tomorrow morning," added Tucker.

* * *

"…so Sam got Aragon, though she can't remember how, because she got a concussion," finished Danny.

He and Valerie sat on the edge of a tall building, underneath the night sky.

"So," asked Danny, "Think we can make this truce last?"

He grinned, but received nothing in return.

"Well, this is – this is awkward…"

Valerie turned and looked Danny in the eyes.

"You can stop playing dumb now, Fenton."

Danny's eyes widened.

"Fenton? N-no, no, I'm not a Fent…" he stammered, hurriedly.

Valerie rolled her eyes.

"I worked it out when you 'adopted' Dani back there," she retorted, "You honestly think regular old Danny Fenton would be that happy about it? I don't know why I didn't work it out sooner…"

Danny sighed.

"Alright, yeah," he nodded, transforming back to normal, "I'm Danny Fenton. I had an accident with the ghost portal and now I'm half-ghost. And now I've lost my friend, because she found out I'm her main target."

He lay on his back, clearly annoyed.

Valerie stared for a moment.

Then she offered her hand. Cautiously, Danny took it.

"Think we can make this truce last, Danny?" she asked.

Danny grinned.

"I think we can."

* * *

Sam lay in her bed, fast asleep.

She had placed a small black box next to her bedside table, and only she knew the combination.

In her dreams, she remembered her fight with Aragon. Despite the stakes and the pain of fighting, she had to say that she'd enjoyed using the amulet, all things considered.

And after all, what Danny didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

**The End**

* * *

You know, it seems rare that I write happy endings. And yet, here we are, a happy ending.

Thanks very much for reading, good luck in all your endeavors and I'll see you in the next fic, **Stage Fright**.

Merry Tenth of August!


End file.
